BULGARIA

Fighting organized crime in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe with a coastline on the Black Sea and almost 2000 km of land borders shared with five other countries. This geographic location, particularly its proximity to the European Union border, make Bulgaria attractive to local, regional and global organized crime groups.

Sitting on a crossroads between Europe and Asia, Bulgaria is becoming a targeted transit country for crime groups smuggling illicit merchandise into or across the two regions, particularly drugs.

The international characteristics of these crime areas and their links with crime networks around the world make the role of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Bulgaria fundamental to maintaining national and regional security.

INTERPOL in Bulgaria

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Bulgaria is part of the International Operational Cooperation Directorate (IOCD) in the Ministry of Interior. It plays a central role in preventing the country and surrounding region from serving international organized crime.

By providing globally-sourced intelligence about regional crime trends, the NCB helps police officers across Bulgaria detect and investigate the flow of illicit goods along trafficking routes in and around the country.

NCB Sofia is a regular partner in INTERPOL-led global police operations in the region.

Law enforcement in Bulgaria

Law enforcement services in Bulgaria are provided by several different departments of the Ministry of Interior.

The Criminal Police General Directorate is in charge of serious crime investigations at national level. The Security Police General Directorate is in charge of public order and the protection of people and property.

The Ministry of Interior is also in charge of the Border Police General Directorate, a specialized security and investigative force in charge of border security and control.